welcome to "world news tonight." treacherous travel as christmas nears. heavy snow, ice, powerful winds. an unwanted gift from mother nature, disrupting holiday travel for millions across the country. shocked and saddened. hollywood co-stars and friends sharing their emotional reactions after "star wars" actress carrie fisher goes into cardiac arrest. the latest on her condition tonight. church terror threat. with many now heading to worship this christmas eve, a warning from the fbi on the growing isis threat. turf war. president-elect trump at odds with the obama administration over one of our closest allies. plus some rockettes now high-kicking their way out of the inauguration. and the little boy, the long wait, and the photo going viral.

♪ we wish you a merry christmas, we wish you a merry christmas ♪ the greatest gift in this season of giving. of good evening and thanks for joining us. it's great to have you with us on this christmas eve. cecilia is off. i'm rebecca jarvis. as we come on the air tonight, the winter wallop, more than 70 million people in the path of this storm. blizzard conditions expected in the northern plains threatening to shut down highways, and dangerous winter weather and wind alerts stretching from michigan all the way to california. the plane carrying the minnesota vikings to their game with the packers sliding off an icy wisconsin runway. the team posting video of players being evacuated. all this frightful weather playing havoc with holiday travel plans. in southern california drivers attempting to get around a closed highway, instead getting stuck in the mud. abc's eva pilgrim is leading us

off tonight with the messy getaway. >> reporter: the final rush home for the holidays and tonight drivers are battling snow, ice and even the threat of a blizzard. winter alerts from michigan all the way to california. >> a lot of weather. a lot of accidents. >> reporter: north of los angeles, blinding snow and icy roads slamming the grapevine mountain pass, eventually closing the interstate for several hours today. that's the northbound/southbound lanes of the i-5 here on the grapevine shutdown. frustrated drivers detouring down a muddy road, finding more problems. car after car stuck, spinning out. one man tried to dig out his tires, but no luck. >> it's been a rough drive. >> reporter: in arizona 40 mile-per-hour wind gusts kicking up blinding dust along i-10. as for the 2.4 million flying, also having to pack patience. >> it's been four hours, yeah, and they just cancelled it after three hours waiting. >> reporter: l.a.x. still unwinding from days of delays

triggered by rain, heavy crowds and runway construction. >> about like an hour so i'll miss my connecting flight. >> show y'all what's going on here. >> reporter: even the minnesota vikings football team getting hit with travel trouble. their charter delta flight sliding off the taxiway in wisconsin, a tire sinking into the grass. the plane, stuck. it's going to be a white christmas for nearly 40% of the country. forecasters warning that many roads could be shut down christmas day into monday because of snow and blowing winds in those areas. rebecca? >> eva, thank you. abc's senior meteorologist rob marciano is here with the forecast. what are you watching? >> as tuf as it is, it's good news for california. they've had a bad drought. the wettest december in six years for los angeles. watch this wind up as the rain turns to snow in salt lake city.

blizzard for the dakotas and we're concerned about icing conditions, minneapolis, north and west of there could see power outages and a foot of snow from bismarck to the food hills. for some it will be a white christmas. next tonight, hollywood reacting to carrie fisher's medical emergency. co-stars saying they're shocked and saddened. the "star wars" actress going into cardiac arrest on a flight. the crew aboard the flight performing cpr. abc's adrienne bankert has the very latest from los angeles. >> reporter: tonight, iconic actress carrie fisher remains in the intensive care unit surrounded by family following friday's in-flight emergency, fisher suffering cardiac arrest. >> we have some passengers, nurses, assisting the passenger working on her right now. >> reporter: on this christmas eve, her "star wars" co-star, harrison ford, shocked and saddened, releasing this statement, "our thoughts are with carrie, her family and friends." george lucas posting this message online, "sending love our hearts and prayers are with her."

fisher's famous mother debbie reynolds at her bedside, her 60-year-old daughter undeniably hollywood royalty. fisher speaking to david about her fame. >> i didn't have some thing about, oh, i'm going to go and everyone is going to like me and accept me, and that's what celebrity is. i knew what it was and i knew what it wasn't. >> reporter: she is most well known for role as princess leia, >> i recognized your foul stench when i was brought on board. >> reporter: reprising the character in last year's "star wars": the force awakens." >> there's still light in him, i know it. >> reporter: she most recently finished shooting scenes for the amazon prime series "catastrophe." >> you know, i still have trouble with the name. how do you say it? moron? >> muerin. >> reporter: fisher had already wrapped production on the next "star wars" movie, episode eight. fisher's daughter, billy, starring alongside her mother in a much bigger role in that film. everyone in the family holding onto hope that she'll recover.

rebecca? >> thinking of her and her family tonight. adrienne, thank you. breaking news now, donald trump dissolving his foundation. the presidential transition becoming a turf war between the incoming and outgoing administrations. president-elect trump making unprecedented comments about u.s. policy before he takes office, tweeting tonight on his latest break with president obama, the historic u.n. security council vote condemning israeli settlements. abc's mary bruce has the story. >> reporter: what began as an orderly transition of power tonight dissolving into a presidential turf war. >> after january 20th he will be responsible for the conduct of american policy. until january 20th president obama is. that's how it works. there's one president at a time. >> reporter: the fight over one of america's closest allies, israel. >> the bond between the united states and israel is unbreakable. >> i love israel. i love israel. >> reporter: the u.n. friday passing a measure condemning the

country for building settlements. trump had pressured the obama administration to block the measure. but instead, they abstained, allowing it to pass, breaking longstanding u.s. policy to defend israel at the u.n. tonight trump tweeting, the big loss yesterday for israel and the united nations will make it much harder to negotiate peace. too bad, but we will get it done anyway. tonight in a scramble to clean up potential controversies, trump's announced his family foundation is dissolving. in a statement trump saying to avoid even the appearance of any conflict with my role as president, i've decided to continue to pursue my strong interest in philanthropy in other ways. but already there's a big wrinkle. the foundation is still being investigated by the new york attorney general. among their concerns, trump may have used foundation money to purchase a self-portrait and may have made questionable political donations. tonight the new york attorney general's office says the trump foundation can't legally

dissolve until their investigation is complete, but trump today insisted 100% of the foundation money has gone to charity. rebecca? mary, thank you. meantime, a number of celebrities say they will not be performing at trump's inauguration. top talent refusing to perform for the president-elect. the rockettes booked for the festivities, much to the chagrin of some of the dancers. here's abc's david wright. >> reporter: the radio city rockettes are not exactly in lock step over performing for donald trump's inaugural. one of the dancers posted on instagram she's embarrassed and disappointed. but, after warning the rockettes that boycotting the event could cost them their jobs, their manager reportedly relented, insisting the gig is voluntary. even though donald trump has spent his adult life cozying up to celebrities, plenty of big names say they're turning him down. among them, elton john, garth brooks, andrea bocelli and

even -- ♪ i want to rock and roll all night ♪ >> reporter: even the rock band kiss. this week trump tweeted as though the whole thing doesn't bother him, "the so-called a-list celebrities are all wanting tickets to the inauguration, but look what they did for hillary, nothing. i want the people!" ♪ hallelujah, hallelujah with a month to go before inauguration day, at least two acts booked and confirmed. the mormon tabernacle choir and a 16-year-old former contestant on ""america's got talent," jackie evancho. the whole thing now fodder for jokes on "snl." >> i've put together a list of people who have agreed to perform at your inauguration. >> so many great names here, really. i love them both. >> reporter: alec baldwin tweeted he's willing to step in provided he can choose the song. ♪ highway to hell his pick, "highway to hell."

david wright, abc news, new york. >> and our thanks to david wright. we turn now to new arrests in connection with the terror attack on the berlin christmas market. three men taken into custody in tunisia, including the nephew of anis amri, the man accused of driving that truck that killed 12 people. police say the men in custody were part of a terrorist cell, and that the nephew had communicated with amri. amri was killed in a shoot-out with police in italy on friday. and here at home, a holiday terror warning. security on high alert at st. patrick's cathedral here in new york and at churches all over the country. the fbi warning that isis is urging followers to strike houses of worship, targeting people as they flock to church to celebrate christmas. abc's gloria riviera has the details. >> reporter: tonight, millions of americans attending holiday services after that call from isis to attack churches.

fbi and homeland security officials warning police to remain vigilant after isis published a link listing the names and addresses of churches across the u.s. >> in light of what we've experienced in this country and the attacks that we've witnessed overseas, law enforcement has to take every situation seriously. >> reporter: the list is eliciting posts calling for even more violence as christmas sunday approaches. attacks in coffee shops, hotels and markets in the u.s., canada, france and the netherlands. >> that's something that we have to consider and be safe and vij lenlt but something we're taking upon ourselves to be out and about with our family. >> reporter: officials say isis routinely uses lists like this one to encourage sympathizers to carry out lone wolf attacks, similar to the recent events in berlin. >> they're becoming inspired by these organizations, and they're willing to kill on their behalf. >> reporter: in the latest bulletin officials said they are not currently tracking a specific target, but there is concern this call from isis

provides a dangerous motivation. rebecca. >> thank you, gloria. pope francis tonight celebrating christmas at the vatican. the pontiff holding the traditional christmas eve mass at st. peter's. francis urging christians to remember the suffering of children all over the world. thousands making the pilgrimage to bethlehem, the traditional birth place of jesus. security tight in the west bank town. next tonight, we turn to the hidden dangers of the holiday season. more home fires reported now than any other time of the year. cooking, christmas trees, they can all pose fire hazards, and abc's linzie janis has tips for keeping your holiday safe. >> reporter: tonight a reminder the festive season bringing fire dangers. authorities say the blaze ripping through this manhattan apartment building injuring more than two dozen people was caused by a woman burning a candle while wrapping gifts, the sleeve of her bathrobe hanging in the open flame, catching fire. >> parnltly she took the robe

off and dropped it maybe on the floor or on a couch, left the apartment and left the door open. now you have fire in the hallway. >> reporter: the top four days for home candle fires in the u.s. are christmas eve and christmas day and new year's eve and new year's day. >> we recommend flameless candles. battery-operated candles. they look the same, they're very pretty. >> reporter: but it's not just candles. there are more house fires in december and january than any other time. this demonstration shows just how quickly a real christmas tree can go up in flames. safety experts say keep real trees watered and turn decorative lights off when you're away or sleeping and when the tree gets dry, get rid of it. another big cause of fire is all that holiday cooking. safety experts reminding people never to use water on a grease fire. use baking soda or smother it with a pan lid. >> great advice. our thanks to linzie. now we turn to a mid-air mystery on the verge of being solved.

a plane crashes into a mountain in bolivia in 1985. the crash site inaccessible but not to two intrepid explorers from boston, setting out to gather evidence to answer decades-old questions. abc's david kerley has their story. >> reporter: on this remote bolivian peak two guys from boston with no mountaineering experience -- >> whoo! this is worse. >> reporter: -- are hoping to solve a more than 30-year-old mystery. >> it's around the corner there, and we just can't do it. >> reporter: it was this wikipedia page about 19 unrecovered black boxes that started dan futrell and isaac stoner's adventure. >> was it the sense of adventure or was it the mystery that appealed to you? >> i think a little bit of both. maybe we could succeed where all these other expeditions had not managed to. >> reporter: it was a boeing 727 with 29 on board including eight americans that mysteriously slammed into mount illimani on new year's day 1985. but so remote that investigators couldn't get to the site before it was covered in snow.

>> i found this thing which is the right color, but cracked open like an egg. >> reporter: dan and isaac found the debris had slid down the mountain, and on the last day of their trek at 16,000 feet with the sun going down isaac finally makes the discovery. >> and so i just flipped over a piece that i hadn't flipped over before that said "ckpt vo rcdr." >> basically the black boxes living in your apartment? >> yeah. >> reporter: strained relations between the u.s. and bolivia have left this box and spool of tape in their apartment. but just this past week the bolivians approved giving it all to the ntsb probably next month. evidence these two adventurers discovered which could help solve the mystery of eastern airlines flight 980. david kerley, abc news, boston. >> thank goodness for curiosity. still ahead tonight, an armed robbery caught on tape. the suspect pointing a gun, but he didn't see this coming. how the tables turned. also, what was supposed to be a festive holiday turning

into an expensive nightmare for one family who booked their vacation online. what you need to know before booking your next big trip. and the mystery behind this charlie brown display. it's inspiring a whole community this season. ♪ ♪ he has a sharp wit. a winning smile. and no chance of getting an athletic scholarship. and that is why you invest. the best returns aren't just measured in dollars. td ameritrade.

next tonight, if you're planning a winter getaway, you're probably doing research online but some are finding out the hard way the place they booked on the internet isn't legal. here's abc's marci gonzalez. >> reporter: tonight a new warning before your vacation getaway. >> he said, "i'm going to get you thrown out." >> reporter: los angeles couple annette van duren and alan sacks found what they thought was the perfect apartment to rent for a visit to new york city on airbnb, a popular home-sharing site. but when they arrived a neighbor said they had to go. >> he said "well, that's

illegal, you can't do that. ." >> reporter: the apartment was listed illegally, breaking new york's strict laws against short-term rentals, leaving annette and alan booking a pricey last-minute hotel. >> and the first night the rate at the hotel was $810. it was crazy. >> reporter: 140 million people rent on airbnb in 34,000 cities worldwide. the rules are different in each one. to protect yourself experts say know your local laws, contact your host directly before booking, and carefully read reviews. airbnb refunded alan and annette for their hotel but the couple says it's a lesson learned. >> i would rather just stay at a hotel and know that it's a real accommodation and it's legal. >> reporter: when we asked airbnb whether they police their listings, they told us they remind every host to follow local laws and make information about those laws available on their website. rebecca. >> buyer beware. marci gonzalez, thank you.

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to amazon's procrastinator's delight. you can order gifts online until 9:45 tonight and they will be delivered by midnight. or you can go for gift cards. next, the charlie brown mystery in one florida town. the owner of this cape coral property planted the tree but doesn't know who put up the wooden cutout of charlie brown. now many are leaving notes of holiday wishes right on charlie brown. still ahead tonight, the story behind this triumphant grin. ♪ as soon as i became a parent i changed as a person, drastically. ♪ i tried hard to quit smoking. ♪ but when we brought our daughter home that was it. ♪ now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. it's the best thing that ever happened to me. can you say thanks nicoderm cq? every great why needs a great how.

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and finally tonight, in this season of giving, the ultimate gift for one little boy who only wanted a family. here's abc's john donvan. >> reporter: why does the little boy is this picture have his fist raised in triumph? and what does that have to do with the number 832? here's what. michael brown is three now. but he was hardly a toddler when he was placed in foster care. >> we were his third foster home so he was a little frightened and scared. it took a little more patience. >> reporter: but with time and love and caring, michael got over his being scared. and then tara montgomery and her

two teenage daughters, dae and tiana couldn't get over michael. something about his laugh. >> his laugh would be like just right in the gut. like it will get you. like it's so contagious. >> reporter: and how he fit in with them all. so a few days ago they made it official. they went to court for a legal adoption. and this picture, that's michael celebrating the end to his 832 days in foster care. and his lifetime to come. all those holidays. >> he loves santa and, um -- >> he talks about it every day. >> every single day. >> reporter: and the in-between days, too. john donvan, abc news. >> home sweet home for the holidays. thank you so much for joining. i'm rebecca jarvis. merry christmas, hawpy hanukkah, have a good night.

i'm melissa magee. and i'm erin o'hearn. tonight on fyi philly. merry christmas. our list of festive fun and we've checked it twice! have the kids in philadelphia been good this year? with ideas for the naughty and nice! holiday shopping done fun! whether you're planning a party. it's very festive. or enjoying the sights and sounds. merry christmas santa claus. there's something on our list that will make this your best holiday ever!hi everybody and wi philly. we are at the strawberry mansion and it is all decked out for the holiday season. this is part of the historic houses tour and they are all decorated for christmas in fairmount park. hopefully by now, you've got the bulk of your christmas shopping done and you can relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of the season. and there are so many things to help spark that holiday spirit. at franklin square, there's the spectacular electrical spectacle.